Embracing Art part 4 with Hampus Olsson

Forget oil pastels, paints, brushes and canvases, with the advent of the fast pacing technological advancements, it was time it also engulfed the world of art.

Digital art uses technology and digital inputs to create artistic pieces of work. Sounds like a piece of cake? Not really. Many people argue that the use of tablets and hard-to-understand software like Adobe Photoshop and styluses can be more difficult than it seems.Choosing the perfect app to work with and draw is another battle. With the ever going battle of traditional art vs. digital art, I decided to introduce one of the best known guys in the circuit of art.

In the first ever exclusive interview with Hampus Olsson, I learnt more about the lesser known part of art, and then some about him. He is best known for being the designer behind the wallpapers on OnePlus phones and in the wallpapers in the popular android fork Paranoid Android.

Currently residing in Goa, India, Olsson has been creating art and design since the age of 8, along with websites.

“There is no real secret, just pure love and passion for design and art. I’ve always had a creative mind. Making things with my own hands has always been motivating and pleasing enough for my mind. I often look at what other people do and feel that, if they can do it, why can’t I? There’s endless possibilities to what we can create, It’s just up to you, to realise that and to start creating. What’s stopping you?”

Olsson’s wallpapers are a beautiful amalgamation of mixing up different hues and colours and adding little tweaks to them. Something that looks out of this world, it always seems to come out of your screens, spirited and full of life. It is apparent from the way this page is bursting with life with his wallpapers that have been used.
He is engaged in both conventional paintings and digital art and I asked him what made him pick up the brush, or the stylus.

“I used to paint and draw all the time as a kid, but when I got my first computer, I started making digital art instead. There were so many possibilities. From making light effects in Photoshop to creating large 3D scenes where rendering took two days to complete. There was so much joy to it, and I almost forgot that I could use a pen.”

But making digital art has it own share of lesser known problems.

“Lately, I got problems with my wrist from using the mouse too much, so I bought a Wacom pen tablet which is better to use ergonomically. This enabled me to start using a pen again and realized how much I missed holding it. I started drawing characters digitally and it was a lot of fun. This also fueled my interest in traditional art, so I started to play around with acrylics, oils and different household items to create art. It’s like being a kid again, playing with colors.”

Going back to his roots brought back that joy again for him. In a world where artists are struggling to survive, Olsson pursued his childhood passion and made it into a truly fulfilling career. But what makes his work different from the rest?

“I think what makes my art different is that I tend to continue working on the art digitally after taking a bunch of photos of the acrylic pieces. I play around with shapes and colors and use the knowledge I’ve got throughout the years making digital art and connect it with the traditional art methods. For example, bending a brushstroke, or wrapping it around different objects digitally.”

In Liberal Arts, the key word to look out for is creativity and novelty. Most successful persons in this field dia and are forgotten for their artwork is because they stop evolving themselves continuously. Be it comedy, dancing, music or any other upcoming form, the mantra to be followed is ‘change is the only constant’ With someone who always comes up with something new, I had to ask him how he does it.

“I get bored easily, and tend to get drawn into trying new techniques. If there is new technology that empowers creation, I need to try it out and see if I can use it in any way.

While this might be bad since the overall time to create something slow down, I think it’s worth it in the end. Who knows if this new technique or way of creating is my new favourite thing? I love making games, art, illustrations, websites, apps, fashion and jumping between these different mediums takes away the feeling of doing something repetitive and boring. There is always something fun to work with. If I’m bored making art, I can make games for awhile until making art is fun again.”

Embracing Art started off with young artists who were trying to find themselves and their purpose in life. Some faltered, while some regained their ground. I later introduced artists who had realized that Art was what they were meant to do but faced a lot to reach where they are now. In this final piece, I interviewed Olsson, a person who is a brilliant artist and well established in his field, who did what we wanted to do.

As I wrap up this amazing series with a satisfied grin on my face, I realized I tried to encompass people who were at different steps in their journey called the Life of Art. I got to know the beauty, the hardships, the fun and the sheer satisfaction Art brings to so many people in this world. The blank canvas, the swish of the brush, the smell of the paint which tingles the nostrils, the hours of catatonic posturing to not lose what is in your mind and the sheer joy when you finally complete your canvas with what you wanted. I began to slowly understand what it felt like through this series.

In the first part of Embracing Art, I came with the idea of sparking a fire in you, did it turn into an alluring burning fire inside, waiting to do something you have wanted to all your life?

Check out Embracing Art part 1 here.Check out Embracing Art part 2 here.Check out Embracing Art part 3 here.